1. Technical Field
This invention relates to life jackets and, more particularly, to a reflective life jacket providing catoptric characteristics during night time.
2. Prior Art
The warmth of the summer season makes it the perfect time of year to indulge in all manners of outdoor activities. From playing a spirited game of volleyball on a sand-packed beach or lounging by the neighborhood pool to spending the day at the park or embarking on a camping adventure, people seek a myriad of ways to bask in this season's pleasantly balmy days and evenings. Perhaps no other summer pastime is more popular than riding the currents of a body of water in a floating vessel, or boat. Whether cutting through ocean waves on a luxurious yacht, navigating a placid lake on a pontoon, or steering a fishing boat down a lazy river, boaters are out on the water in record numbers come summer time, reveling in activities that are rife with sport, fun, and relaxation.
Even though recreational boaters are looking for nothing but fun when they head to the water, boating trips can sometimes turn to tragedy. According to alarming statistics provided by the United States Coast Guard, there are more than eight thousand boating accidents in the U.S. each year; of this number, 4,500 people are injured and 800 die. Approximately eighty five percent of the fatalities result from drowning, yet a significant portion of the injuries and deaths can be attributed to prolonged exposure to freezing water temperatures and the blistering, dehydrating rays of the sun. Boating accidents and mishaps can occur for various reasons, whether the vessel capsizes in choppy waters or a boater inadvertently falls from the boat and into the water.
While wearing a life jacket can prevent an accident victim from drowning, he may not be able to fully rescue himself from the water. Should an injury prevent swimming, or the boat is too heavy for the victim to right again, he is left to the mercy of the water and the elements while desperately hoping for a rescuer to come along. Unfortunately, if the accident has occurred while boating in the vast waters of the ocean, rescue personnel would have a very difficult time locating the victim, especially if night is beginning to fall. Obviously, it would be advantageous to provide a means for increasing the visibility of a person floating in a large body of water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,966 to Bautista Real discloses a life-saving device with a launcher which provides for the automatic inflation of the float by simply acting on a lever. The mechanism is comprised of a gas tank or similar integral at its top portion with the float so that said tank is traversed by a hollow cut-off cock with a lower end that projects from the container or tank and is terminated by the lever. The upper end is introduced inside the float and the gas penetrates through the hollow tube of said cock. Integral with the assembly is provided a ring which is connected to the rolled-up cable which is itself integral with the launcher, the latter being provided with a gun wherein is introduced the life-saving assembly in order to launch it to a major distance. Unfortunately, this prior art example does not provide a reflective device that makes a user visible to rescuers at nighttime.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,066,016 to Yonover discloses a water craft for survival or recreational purposes, comprised of an inflatable elongate housing that provides a platform and has an internal supporting structure for rigidity and a fin or multitude of fins Ry for stability and tracking purposes as the survivor paddles the water craft by arm motion. The craft is stowed in a compact pouch when not in use and inflated by compressed gases and/or a manual hand pump to sustain the requisite partial pressures of the inflatable water craft. A thermal protective covering with brightly colored pigmentation and retro-reflective and IR-reflective surfaces is provided to protect the survivor from the elements and enhance his visibility. A non-skid surface on the platform enables the survivor to lie on top of the water craft without slipping off. A bright orange colored elongate SEE/RESCUE (trademark) streamer is provided with the water craft for continuous passive emergency signaling purposes to enable search parties to locate the survivor. An attachable leg leash is provided to keep the water craft from separating from the survivor in rough seas and/or wind conditions. A compass is built into the craft to provide direction to the survivor's mobility. In addition to survivor applications, the water craft can be used for water recreational purposes, such as surfing and paddling. Unfortunately, this prior art example does not provide a life jacket for preventing drowning.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,287 to Yonover discloses a signaling device for indicating, by day or night, the position of a person lost at sea (on land or in space). An elongate brilliantly colored streamer is made up of flat, flexible, inherently buoyant material with built-in support struts to keep the material at maximum outstretched surface area. The streamer can be coated with any one or more of the following in any combination: brilliant color, phosphorescent pigment, reflective material, or International Distress Signal indicia. The device may be attached to a life jacket and rolls up into a water-release container secured to the life jacket. Upon deployment, the container converts into a sun-protective, radar-visual reflective, and water catchments hat. The streamer is extended manually or automatically and can remain in an outstretched manner indefinitely. Unfortunately, this prior art example requires a separate device with manual operation.
Accordingly, the present invention is disclosed in order to overcome the above noted shortcomings. The present invention is convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, and designed for providing catoptric characteristics during night time. The reflective light jacket is simple to use, inexpensive, and designed for many years of repeated use.